India Step Into The Vacuum

By Gaurang
November 21 2018

About a year ago Virat Kohli and his team began their quest to be recognized as one of the great Test sides in the history of the game, when they embarked on a series of overseas Test matches against South Africa, England, Australia and later New Zealand. Prior to beginning this stretch of overseas tours, Virat Kohli had lost only 3 Tests in 32 as captain. Now a year later the record reads 9 losses in 42 Tests.

The series against South Africa and England were lost 1-2 and 1-4 respectively. In the span of 8 Tests Kohli lost twice as many Tests than he had in his first 32 as Captain. The dream of being recognized in the same league as Bradman's invincibles, Lloyd and Richard's West Indians, or Waugh and Ponting's Australians was over.

However, both series were actually very closely fought despite the results. In South Africa, India were facing the No. 2 side in the world and were underdogs despite their No. 1 ranking. In the end they fought from 0-2 down to salvage a memorable win on the most savage of pitches to do their reputation no harm, despite losing the series.

In England, India were favorites as they were facing the then No. 5 ranked English team. However, England were at full strength and playing in home conditions and only the most naïve of Indian supporters would have thought that India would win easily. Again the 1-4 result served to flatter England, and if India had held its nerve during the key moments of the series the result could easily have been 3-2 in their favor.

Virat Kohli and his men now face a very different situation in the upcoming Test series in Australia where they start the tour as overwhelming favorites against a No. 5 ranked Australia. Unlike England last summer, who were essentially at full strength, Australia are missing two of their best batsmen in David Warner and Steve Smith who, along with Cameron Bancroft, are serving one-year bans following the ball-tampering debacle that saw Australian cricket hit a nadir which saw them lose a Test series to No. 7 ranked Pakistan, albeit in the UAE.

The current Australian side is probably the weakest Australian home side that India has played against since the Kerry Packer depleted Australian Test side of 1977-78 which saw the Australian Cricket Board bring Bobby Simpson back as a 42 year old Captain from retirement, Simpson having last played Test cricket in 1967-68, a full decade ago. The only Australian player in Simpson’s side who would have made it to the Kerry Packer rebel Australian side was Jeff Thomson. Thommo was in the peculiar position of having a substantial contract with a sponsor that required him to play for the national side, and thus he was not able to join his mates in taking the money Kerry Packer was offering to join the rebel side. Despite this lack of depth, Simpson’s team managed to beat a full strength India side led by Bishan Bedi, 3-2, in a closely fought and exciting series, that did much to help the Australian Cricket Board compete with Packer and his World Series Cricket matches.

The current Australian side is not quite that depleted, but it is certainly one of the weakest ever to take the field in a Test match at home against India. Virat Kohli and his team thus, are in the unenviable position of being in a lose-lose situation. If they win the series, critics can point to the vacuum in the side left by the missing Warner and Smith, and if they lose, then critics will mercilessly and somewhat justifiably pan them as home condition bullies and unworthy of the No. 1 Test rank they currently hold.

Much better for Virat and his men to be stepping into the whirlwind like they did in South Africa than to be stepping into the vacuum. The only option is for Kohli and his team is to win the Test series. The euphoria of finally winning a Test series in Australia for the first time ever will add a lot of sheen to what could otherwise be a no-win situation.

However, before we get to the main course of the Test series, there is an appetizer round of T20I matches, which India will hope whet their appetite for winning. A loss however, could leave a sour taste in the mouth and make the main course less palatable. Indian fans will be hoping for the best. So on this Thanksgiving eve, bon appetit!

First of appetizers was a bit too spicy. India help Australia end losing streak in the format at 4 losses in a row. Already "ceasing" the big moments such as dropping the opposition captain then misfielding and gifting him runs....

Virat needs to kick himself in the backside... or maybe just let Rohit lead in the shorter formats.

Third appetizer was good... but then the 4 day match is now a washout on day 1... anyway India diluted its significance by insisting that it be a NON FIRST CLASS fixture...with all 18 getting a chance to bat and bowl... i.e. a GLORIFIED NET SESSION...

BCCI, Shastri and Virat have learned NOTHING from the debacles in South Africa and later England... I fear this series will also be one where India will be "competitive" and the bowling will be fine...but the batting will once again let us down...SIGH!

Freak injury... may be out for at least 2-3 Tests... that would dent India's chances... though to be honest he was a rookie with only 2 Tests against a lowly Windies in home conditions... India may need to be bold here and pick Parthiv Patel as an opener... his cut and pull style of batting would be similar to Shaw's though of course he is a lefty and Shaw is a righty...

Obviously at the start of the game they didn't have Parthiv bat... but it may be useful to have him bat in the second knock... if and when they can knock over the rookie Aussie side...

India pick Rohit Sharma at 6... and go in with just 4 bowlers... in the first Test... Ashwin will be the lone specialist spinner... Rohit and maybe even Vijay may have to bowl a few overs of spin...Anyway Kohli starts on a winning note by winning the toss...something he didn't do often in SA and England...

Indian bowlers as expected were stellar...now up to the Indian batsmen to make it count... They have done a better job so far... but still not convinced about Rahane... If he fails again.. he may need to be dropped... even though he is Vice Captain

India win first test by 31 runs. Margin was too close.
Australian tail is very strong. India should keep that in mind and should not throw their wickets away.
Losing last four for four was criminal. A further 50 runs would have kept My ndia without pressure.

BirbalThird appetizer was good... but then the 4 day match is now a washout on day 1... anyway India diluted its significance by insisting that it be a NON FIRST CLASS fixture...with all 18 getting a chance to bat and bowl... i.e. a GLORIFIED NET SESSION...
BCCI, Shastri and Virat have learned NOTHING from the debacles in South Africa and later England... I fear this series will also be one where India will be "competitive" and the bowling will be fine...but the batting will once again let us down...SIGH!

One thing they DID LEARN is to not drop Pujara... and he saved their butts... without him this would have been same old, same old... and unlike Vijay and Rohit and Rahul he did not play against NZ A....

I would pick Shaw if fit over Vijay at Perth... Otherwise the same XI works...as long as the pace bowlers are fully fit... (they bowled quite a few overs)... and Umesh and Bhuvi must be chomping at the bit to get a game...

Vijay got a brilliant ball but he did leave a gap between bat and pad. Rahul was bowled again. And he was not even playing straight. He was trying to work that Yorker on the leg side. Pujara got identical ball fro. Hazlewood but played it solidly straight. I’d pick Shaw for next test. Woh sits between Vijay and Rahul depends on each does in second knock.

BirbalI still remember India coming back from 0-2 to tie it 2-2 then lose the 5th one to lose 2-3 overall back in 1977-78

Excellent comeback that one : from 0-2 to 2-2.

It was the weakest Aussie team ever to play at home versus India though... they brought back 40 year old Bobby Simpson out of retirement to lead the side... as the whole side except Jeff Thommo signed up for Packer and were banned....

Still good comeback... and it happened at MCG and SCG...two grounds most India like...we can credit Gavaskar, Viswanath, and Amarnath in batting and Chandra, Bedi and Pras in bowling... though Madan Lal and Ghavri did decently too...

We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment.
We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals.
We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards.
If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing
abuse@sportnetwork.net